About

CrackerHammer Productions is the home of Michael and Erica Mercadante, a married pair of odd visual artists.

Who Is Michael Mercadante?

I’m a professional multimedia artist and writer, living and working in the Philadelphia suburbs.  That’s the short version.

The long version?  Over the last 25 years, I’ve had an incredible variety of odd jobs.  I’ve been a kindergarten teacher, summer camp counselor, retail manager, disc jockey, costumed mascot, scientific researcher, sports cinematographer, security chief, college professor and comic book publisher – and that’s just the tip of it.  Through it all, I’ve honed my creative skills with a wide variety of projects, including graphic and website design, Flash animation, video production, photography and illustration.

I studied fine art, photography and television production in high school, and started college as a Communications major at the local community college.  I spent a year studying film and fine art at The College Of Santa Fe, and then took ten years off.  I returned to college in 2005, earning a B.A. degree the following year from Temple University.  That degree is in American History, which is another passion of mine.

As a research historian, I’ve spent exhaustive hours studying two specific areas: 20th-century fringe pop culture and the American Presidency.  I can (and will) tell you obscure facts about film legends you’ve never heard of and Lyndon Johnson’s pants.

Within the pages of this site, you can learn more about me, my media production experience and my odd pop culture obsessions.  Explore at your leisure!

Who is Erica Mercadante?

Erica is a visual artist working in a variety of media, some of it even edible.  An accomplished 3-D artist, she creates custom cakes, stuffed monsters and bags that are each a unique work of art.  While she primarily works in 3-D, she has done some fantastic photography, particularly engagement photo shoots.  She is an accomplished actress, having starred in the last two CrackerHammer films, “Immoral Desires” and “Spirits in the Attic”, as well as a few industrial projects.  She is currently studying Acting and Communications at a local college.